At least 500,000 people have been evacuated and more than 300,000 homes have been destroyed in a region already reeling from multiple crises.
Severe flooding across West and Central Africa has affected an estimated 4 million people so far this year, many of them children.
Gilles Fanignou, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, said: “The region is increasingly affected by severe weather events and already faces challenges in realizing the fundamental rights to survival, security and education. The environment has become even more difficult for children.”
At least 500,000 people were evacuated in many affected countries, more than 300,000 homes were destroyed, and dozens of schools and health centers were damaged, UNICEF reported.
Last year’s floods were also severe, by comparison, affecting 692,000 people in the region by this point this year. “Even more severe river flooding is expected later this year, potentially adding to the misery for children and families in the region,” Faginou said.
Severe weather events are increasingly impacting the region, making the environment even more difficult for children who already face challenges in realizing their fundamental rights to survival, safety and education. — Jill Fanignou, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa
Here, we highlight what is happening in specific countries and how UNICEF is responding to reduce the impact on already vulnerable children and families.
chad
In Chad, one of the worst-hit countries, heavy rains have caused flooding across the country since late July, with nearly 1.5 million people already affected and 145 killed, according to the government. 70,000 houses have been destroyed.
Floods also destroyed bridges and roads. Delivering aid to Sudan’s Darfur region is further complicated by the high volume of water in the Wadi River valley, which is difficult to cross.
UNICEF works through more than 80 offices and branches in the region to support children and families in the hardest-hit areas. As cholera outbreaks continue in the region, there is a high risk of an increase in waterborne diseases affecting children.
Ensuring continuous access to safe water is a key part of emergency flood response to reduce the risk of waterborne diseases and other threats. © UNICEF Chad/Amin Ahmat Yacoub
The response was quick. Within the first 48 hours of the floods in Chad, UNICEF responded by building toilets for 2,200 people and repairing water points for 3,000 people. Essential household items were distributed to around 1,000 people, as well as therapeutic food for children under the age of five.
WASH assistance continues at two displacement campsites in N’Djamena. Fourteen taps were installed to ensure that 3,500 people had access to at least 15 liters of safe drinking water per person per day.
UNICEF is working with other United Nations agencies to help register affected people in resettlement locations and ensure that assistance reaches them. UNICEF is also working with local partners to distribute supplies such as tents, plastic mats, blankets, clothing and shoes.
We have conducted nearly 20 awareness sessions and reached thousands of people about the importance of hand washing, household water treatment, and toilet use.
UNICEF and partners also set up three child-friendly spaces where children can receive psychosocial support, and adults about children’s rights, flood-related child protection risks, and establishing normalcy in the area. Information will be provided about the importance of children’s participation in recreational and play activities to help them develop their skills. times of crisis.
mali
In Mali, the 2024 flood season started early, with major flooding occurring in July, mainly affecting the Segou region. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate. Families forced to leave their homes are taking shelter in temporary shelters within schools or makeshift camps.
By late August, an estimated 72,000 children in all 19 regions of the country had been affected by the deluge, and the government declared a state of national disaster.
UNICEF is supporting affected families by delivering emergency supplies, including malaria and cholera prevention kits. Construct emergency toilets while increasing community messages about hygiene and sanitation. Development of mobile medical clinics. and setting up a space for children.
UNICEF is providing shelter, hygiene supplies and other support to children and their parents displaced by floods, such as those in Silebugou village in the heart of the Segou region. © UNICEF/UNI642156/Keita
UNICEF is accelerating support to areas already affected by floods, while also strengthening prevention and emergency response in areas that have so far been spared. Emergency supplies are pre-positioned across the country, but more support is needed to avoid shortages.
UNICEF also mobilized 11,000 young people in 83 villages and neighborhoods to carry out sanitation improvement and flood mitigation activities, including improving drainage of gutters and sewers in urban areas and paving roads, reaching 440,000 people. brought benefits.
Nigeria
An estimated 900,000 people were affected by floods in Maiduguri, Borno State, northeastern Nigeria. Many children have been separated from their families, and many have lost loved ones. UNICEF is providing psychosocial support to help these children cope with the trauma.
UNICEF will also ensure that children have access to critical health services, including immunizations, at clinics in displacement camps, and pre-positioned health and WASH services in flood-affected areas. Sanitation, sanitation) supplies are being distributed.
Already, 4,000 cholera prevention kits have been delivered to families in camps and communities across Maiduguri, providing 240,000 people with basic hygiene products and protecting against waterborne diseases that can easily spread during flood emergencies. It helps protect yourself.
The provision of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), a fortified peanut paste, is one of the many emergency services UNICEF has set up in a camp supporting families displaced by severe flooding in Maiduguri, Nigeria. © UNICEF/UNI647992/UNICEF Nigeria
UNICEF is providing support to all displacement camps as more children are at risk of severe acute malnutrition due to limited access to food and healthy diets due to flooding. We have set up centers to provide supplements and ready-to-use products to help boost nutrition and prevent malnutrition. Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for children already suffering from acute malnutrition and in need of treatment.
Another part of UNICEF’s response is to work with local governments to identify and register 5,000 households eligible for emergency cash assistance.
Related: From arid Abuja to Maiduguri waters: A first-hand look at Nigeria’s flood crisis
The emergency supplies UNICEF is distributing to people displaced by the Maiduguri floods include items adolescent girls need for basic hygiene and menstrual health. © UNICEF/UNI647986/UNICEF Nigeria
Regional responses to regional crises: UNICEF operations in West and Central Africa need more funding
According to UNICEF’s Climate Risk Index for Children, 16 out of 24 countries in West and Central Africa are among the 30 countries with the greatest climate change risks for children. UNICEF has a continuous presence in all these regions, coordinating humanitarian programs and emergency response activities through its West Africa Regional Office and Central Africa Regional Office.
Learn more about how UNICEF is responding to emergencies in West and Central Africa.
UNICEF is calling for flexible emergency funding to reach more children and families affected by the floods. Your tax-deductible donation can help make a difference. Support UNICEF. Donate now.
Please donate
